A couple weeks ago I went on a short road trip to the north of where I live by several hundred kilometres. Someone needed my help fencing on his small farm and I took the opportunity to go a little farther to drop in on some other people I know, one of which has just purchased a property.
The family bought a property that used to be a vehicle wrecking yard, one of those ones that sits just on the edge of town where literally everything seems to get dumped.
It's a small rural town in the middle of nowhere with a small population where nothing much happens, however back in the day it was a thriving farming centre and that means the wrecking yard, all twelve acres of it, is full of old cars, motorbikes, trucks, tractors, farming machinery and the associated parts that have been stripped off vehicles in the past. The tractor you see in the image is one of them.
There's a house which was in terrible condition and has now been almost renovated and many sheds also full of parts of all kinds. The very old owner passed away and they bought the property and everything on it from the owner's two sons. Since then they've been busy sorting through it and determining what they have, what still has value and what will be sold off as scrap metal - It's a gargantuan job.
They have so far recovered about seventy five percent of their initial outlay for the property through selling off rusted, beat up old cars and parts which is pretty incredible and there's a lot more to go - it's likely to take a few years to make their way through it all. The word is out though through advertisement around the country and word of mouth, and they're getting more and more calls each week from people wanting something. It's amazing what people will buy and each weekend they put a big garage sale out on the road and sell somewhere between $500-$1,000 of things each weekend, sometimes much more.
Eventually they intend to turn a section of their twelve acres into a camping area for camper trailers and RV's which will be cool. This town is right on the fringe of the ancient Flinders Ranges which draws a lot of campers, some 700,000 of them annually, so I think it'll be popular.
Wandering around the property and looking at all the (pretty interesting) things made me think about all of those items that were, at one time, purchased brand new, and how they sit there now, seemingly rusting and decaying hunks of metal and rubber and yet they still have value as they had value from the day they were purchased. It was a little sad to see some fairly rare and desirable vehicles and their sad state of affairs though.
I love old things, I find them interesting; I feel that the lives of those who owned and used them have soaked into the very thing - they tell a story of those who used them, albeit it, silently, and if there's no story to be told I make one up for myself. I appreciate those who see value in these items, people that want to take them to restore to their former glory or simply display them as an interesting item of history; I'd rather that then they sit in a field slowly getting reclaimed by the planet.
Do you like old things, antique items like farm machinery, vinyl records, cars, watches, furniture, cameras clothing or anything else? If so, what about those items appeals to you and why? Have you restored something old and brought it back to workable condition or to use as showpiece? Feel free to comment below.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
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That place sounds like it would be so much fun to explore! I wouldn’t be a good person to purchase it because I would end up trying to keep most of those things and fix them up lol. It’s good that they are able to recuperate a lot of the cost from that. I think it goes to show how people enjoy a lot of these old things for various reasons but one of them is they were built well! So much stuff today is purely shit sadly. Doesn’t last and we likely won’t have yards full of cars from 2023 in them because the plastic pieces of crap will have fallen apart by then.
I would love an old tractor like that!
It was really cool...I know a thing or two about cars as does the chap who bought the property, and there's definitely some cool cars there, rusted piles of shit, but some with great value. He recently sold a 1980's F100 truck bed/tub for $5,000 simply because original stuff like that is just not available anymore. There's wrecks he'll sell for way more than that too.
As you say, stuff made today is mostly shite made to a specific budget to maximise profit and little thought is put into quality and longevity...the Tesla is one such example although there are millions of others.
I think you seem like the sort of person who would appreciate this place...as long as you don't mind running into an Eastern Brown snake or twelve! 😉
I used to know someone whose grandpa had several buildings on their property. One of them was an old workshop and he used to spend so much time out there. He probably had about a million hammers that he never could use all of them, but I am sure a couple of them probably were pretty rare. I never got to see inside the other buildings, but I bet he had a bunch of other stuff too. That is cool that they are going to make the property a campground. As a camper I can really appreciate that!
I watch a show called American Pickers out of the States and am often amazed at the number, and scope, of the places they go to...So much cool stuff. I know they do it for profit but it's clear they also do it for posterity and the value they see in preserving Americana and old things. Great show.
As for the camping...you know I'm a camper too, and the Flinders Ranges is one of the most legit places so I'll be using the site...for free considering the people that bought it are cousins of my girl. 😁
Ah yes, I have some friends that have visited the store where the pickers are based out of. It has become quite the tourist attraction given their success. I always used to like watching antique roadshow on PBS, but then they had the big scandal and that kind of ruined it.
There's a few good shows that are similar, some that focus on the restoration of old things too...I like those.
I keep old electronics around partly because they've died before I could factory reset them and mostly because they're points of interest for the kids (the wonder at discovering some of the floppy disks and original iPods and really old mobile phones before they were entirely screen we still had lying around was great XD).
I like looking at old things (including things in museums) and trying to figure out how they worked and comparing and contrasting to modern equivalents if any exist.
ps forgot to mention, pretty cool that your friends were able to recover a decent chunk of their outlay :D
Floppy disks...I remember them. It's amazing how things change. Imagine someone born in 1900 and died in 1990...amazing what they've seen come to pass right?
I go antiquing where possible, several times a year, love museums and curiosity shops, (bric-a-brac shops) and wandering around on properties like my girl's cousin bought. There's always something of interest and often something of value. And yes, they knew the opportunity that existed when they saw it (quite by accident) and despite the owner's sons taking a (valuable)car wreck or two out of the deal there's still so much value to be had. I look forward to going back.
I LOOOOOVE that tractor!
The area we have purchased the properties is rural Portugal, and there are many areas where you can see antique stuff. It just fascinates me to look at and feel every one of those old pieces of equipment or machinery whenever I see one.
It's cool right? There were loads more but most were so surrounded by other things I wasn't able to get a good snap of them. There was so much stuff there though, a pickers paradise.
The more I read the article, the more excited I got with what you described, that would be paradise for me. You know I love antiques, especially cars and watches, 90% of mi profile here is about that 😅.
As I read the part of the garage sale, I remembered a coloquial phrase ... one man's trash is another man's treasure .
Since I saw the picture I was amazed by that tractor, the contrast between the color of the ground and the blue sky is incredible and in the middle the rusty red of the tractor, good photo, Mate!
It's a very cool place and as I wrote this I thought of you as I know you like this sort of thing. Put it on the list of places to go when you come to Australia.
The trash and treasure comment is true indeed...I know many who would look upon that property and the vehicles and think, what a pile of fucken shit, or something like that maybe without the swear words...but in truth, it's a treasure trove.
There's so many tractors there and other farming machinery also. There's a really cool wool baler (gets filled with sheep's wool and it compresses it into what's called a bale and then it's tied off. I'm not sure exactly of the age but well over 100 years. Pretty cool.
People use something, especially farmers, until it's broken or obsolete and replace them. The wool baler I mention is a good example...it may have come from a far nearby and farmers are flat out trying to make a living so they just get a new one and move on...the old, like the cars and tractors too, get dragged into a field and left (most farms here have a section where these things rust away) and sometimes get collected as I think has happened with the wool baler I mention.
You'd like this place...loads of snakes but unless you startle one you'll not get bitten. 😉
Since I read the part where they have the idea of creating a campground, I read it and said I have to visit it sometime.
Although by then, I think I already know most of Australia, thanks to your articles.
I find it interesting what you tell me about the wool baler, I had to look it up on the internet because there aren't sheep here 😅, so I had no idea, but looks pretty cool.
I would never leave those things (cars and machine) to their fate, at most I would sell them or donate them, there is always someone who will take advantage of them.
The farms in Australia must be museums with those sections😅
I'll have to teach you some local slang phrases and, of course, some swear words and how to string them all together...once done you'll be accepted as a local in no time! 😂
Yes, I love old things! I don't know about cars, but for example antique and quality furniture, made of solid wood, those old and strong ones, I love them.
Just here, people are very fond of that... and they buy furniture from Ikea .... disposable furniture that I don't like at all.
About 4 years ago my brother found one of those old tables and that's exactly where I am now and I found a set of 6 chairs, strong, that although I found them separately, they match the table, I'll take them back and here I am!
It's nice to bring something back from the graveyard so to speak and give it a new life. I have a few items around my that I have done that with, either myself or have had done, and I treasure them. My grandfather's silver pocket watch from the late 1800's is one such item.
Those watches are beautiful!
If I told you that I furnish almost my entire flat with furniture that people leave behind? I looked for quality antique furniture, display cabinets, furniture with drawers, lamps, everything!
I did a post on it a while back with a heap of photos, you might have missed that one.
Well done on giving that furniture a new life!
The one with the watches? Of course I didn't miss it, not a single one! hahaha
Long live antique furniture! I've even found paintings and complete libraries, can you believe it?
Nah, this one: https://peakd.com/hive-194913/@galenkp/back-in-time-to-1887
Nooo, I didn't miss it, I'm there🤣 it's beautiful! a relic. I love those things, how beautiful!😍
You know I have restored many things over the years. That tractor picture of mine I posted before reading this had an old chicken coop in it. It has been rebuilt and sits on top of our feral cat sanctuary shed. It is now a cedar chip filled "Cat Coop" and they use it every day/night. 👍
Your post painted a good mental image of the reclamation and scrap yard. But why no pictures..?
I have seen too many junk yards to count. I hate calling them "JUNK". So many restoration worthy things in them.
A few of my fave television shows are "Graveyard Cars and Junkyard Gold" or something like that they are called.
https://www.amazon.com/Junkyard-Gold-Season-1/dp/B077KRQQRZ
Cat coop...good idea.
We have those two shows here, I've only watch the first and it's good. Amazing what they can do with what essentially would be deemed junk by anyone else. It's good to know there's people out there who still respect old things rather than coveting new all the time...give me a 1980's pick up truck over a fucken Tesla any day!
No extra photos for privacy reasons and also because the ones I have will be used on other posts...as I've actually already done once.
I like old things although I am not an antique collector in general and have never restored old furniture or cars or the such.
I have a small collection of vintage cased glass vases and pitchers, just as colorful decor. I have 5 vintage aluminum Christmas trees of various sizes and although I don't collect them, I love old ornaments.
I think a lot of vintage homes have so much more character than the plain old homes they build today, especially the Victorian type homes.
Any time I purchase something older, I always wonder about the people that may have owned them before, the same with rented older homes. I wonder what their lives were like and at holidays, I wonder what kind of celebrations happened there. The answers are forever unknown, but it is still fun to think on it.
Soon a vintage dresser will come to my house. It came from my Dad's Mother's home. It had belonged to one of her sisters that left it there and who's husband or his father built it by hand. The Aunt lived with my Grandmother for a while and for whatever reason chose not to take it with her when she left. It will reside out in my living area when it gets here. So much more character than the regular furniture of today. I'm sure I'll post it when it finally gets here.
Old stuff is fascinating.
It sounds nice about your friend and that they are making some of their money back as they clean up the property. Their future plans sounds like a smart idea. What a huge task they took on, but hopefully it will be worth their effort in the end.
Yeah, I agree with you about the old things and the houses too, these days things seem rather bland to me and are certainly not made as well or to last, houses too.
I grew up in a house built in 1902 so understand the appeal of an older style home, it's character (and creaks and groans) and would definitely prefer it over a modern home although I live in a brand new one at the moment.
Nice work on the dresser, it's good to have those items, memorable and meaningful and also antique. I'll look out for the post.
I saw the title and thought... Yea, that would be me.
My Kubota tractor is over 20 years old now.
Guess I better go read this now huh .?
20 years...it's almost brand new! 😋
My Grandfather was born in 1899 and passed in 2000. He did mention some of the changes he saw. The one that just jumped into my mind was he mentioned the wooden sideways in Calgary and all the changes he saw over the years.
I have my first purchased name brand computer an Apple II computer. I often think about seeing if it still runs. I have also been thinking about selling my vinyl record collection.
It must have been an exciting time for them to see such change, and for the better, in their lifetimes. I saw the Ferrari movie yesterday and it's amazing to think Enzo Ferrari was born in 1898 and then to think if what he achieved, the advancements in automobile's over that time. Incredibly to think of really, same as your grandfather.
Your words are shaped in the form of story; Sons are selling the antique vehicles n things of their father. I am also thinking about the time when those things were purchased( that would be the time when things used to simple) and these things were brand new but now time has aged these things and owner has closed his eyes forever.
Now his things, some of them would be his favorite and may be he might thought not to sell them, are going from that area.
These are still worthy and those people who consider them antique know the real worth of them.
It's good to know there's people who want to preserve history and it's surprising what they'll buy. There's a lot there, so many years of things that people valued once, and will again.
What a great story! It's not at all unbelievable that they managed to get 70% of the investment from this land as you describe it, but it might seem so to many.
What I like behind this story are the people, enterprising people with a lot of vision, the kind of people the world needs to thrive.
See you there hahahaha
It's a really cool place, wandering around seeing all that history collected in one place. It's a little sad, but time moves and things decay I guess, like humans.
Wanto to camp there huh? Ok, let's set a time and date. 😊
It's not that I like old things, but rather the things that I grew up with. Maybe it's sentimental value or familiarity, I just like them. Since I am getting older as well, I guess they can be considered old things. We have restored a good amount of wooden furniture, and I think those are the ones that are really worth it, especially if they are the really hard and heavy wood. As for electronics, cars, or other older things, I don't think they are worth restoring unless they are rare pieces. They can consume a lot of gas/electricity, and the newer ones are usually safer and efficient.
I've restored some furniture, and other things, just for the enjoyment of it, but have also used those items in my houses so there's a double benefit. Have you done those renovations yourself, did someone teach you how to do it?
Oh, I didn't do the renovations myself. They were very hard wood [Narra], so it would be difficult. We had people who do renovations do it instead.
Ah ok, that makes sense.
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